


Taking In Leslie

by LieutenantWubs



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, I refuse to believe that Leslie is 25, M/M, he's like 5, of sorts, such a precious baby, this is just cute shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-12
Updated: 2014-12-12
Packaged: 2018-03-01 05:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2761136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LieutenantWubs/pseuds/LieutenantWubs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a case that involves a mass murder at Beacon Hospital, Sebastian and Joseph meet the only survivor, Leslie. Joseph is determined to care for Leslie and tries to get Sebastian into the idea as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking In Leslie

**Author's Note:**

> What are summaries.
> 
> Leslie is a precious baby and I want him to be protected at all costs.

Sebastian doesn’t really remember why or how they got permission to let Leslie stay with them.

Because seriously, who the hell would let two detectives, one who was an ex drunk, take care of a mental patient? Dumb people, that’s who.

“He really should be taken to a hospital.”

“No, Sebastian. After what he went through in Beacon Hospital I think he deserves to have some normal human interaction. Chief agrees with me.”

“We can’t just fucking adopt him, Joseph. He’s a sick kid who needs help. I know that sounds harsh but I don’t want him to get worse.”

Joseph was glaring at him and Sebastian felt his heart sink. He didn’t like to make Jojo mad, but Leslie needed professional help, especially after what happened at that mass murder scene.

“We can check him into a hospital after the weekend. Please, Seb, just let him stay with us for now, I want to watch over him.” Sebastian rubbed his temples in frustration.

“Fine... But on Monday we’re going to get this kid some real help. Where the fuck is he anyways?”

“He’s in the guest bedroom, I gave him an extra pair of my clothes to get out of that awful uniform.” Joseph stood up and headed down the hallway so Sebastian followed after him. They got to the guest bedroom and knocked on the door.

“Leslie? It’s me, Joseph. Is everything okay?” Joseph was pressing his ear to the door when it slowly opened up. Leslie was standing there in white sweat pants and one of Joseph’s blue sweaters that he rarely wore. Even though Jojo was small, Leslie was smaller so the sweater was a bit too big for him, effectively making him look more like a small child.

“Fine. Fine. Fine...” Sebastian was kind of shocked to see Leslie smiling up at Joseph. Suddenly the kid’s attention was on him and Sebastian had no idea what to do.

“Hey, Leslie...”

“S-Sebastian?...” Leslie slowly shuffled over to the older man and wrapped his arms around Sebastian. Joseph was smiling at him so he awkwardly ran his hands through Leslie’s hair. “Ruvik is gone?”

“Yeah... He’s gone kiddo. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Good. Good. Good.” Sebastian watched as Leslie smiled up at him and turned away to shuffle down the hallway. Both detectives looked at each other before following the pale boy.

“Would you like to eat something Leslie? I can make you soup or toast and I think we have cereal in the cabinet.” Joseph walked into the kitchen while Sebastian continued to watch Leslie shuffle around the living room.

“Soup. Soup. Soup.”

“Hey, Joseph, why don’t you hang out with Leslie and I’ll make the soup.”

“That sounds like a good idea, you’re much better at that than me.” Sebastian and Joseph switched spots and Seb began to grab everything he would need to make homemade soup.

“So what do you like to do Leslie? Do you like to read or draw?” The kid was still padding around the apartment, looking at different pieces of furniture and decorations.

“I-I like stories.” Sebastian was shocked to hear a real sentence leave Leslie’s mouth and Joseph only smiled at the kid.

“I like stories too, so we have many different books. Is there any story that is your favorite? I might have it.”

“N-no... Nice stories are good.  All stories.”

“Hmm... I think I have a good book for you. Let me go see if I still have it somewhere.” Joseph left the living room and Sebastian was left alone with Leslie. He watched as the kid continued to stumble about the room before curling up on the couch with a pillow.

Sebastian felt bad. No kid should have had to go through what Leslie did. It didn’t help that he already had problems, but after seeing what he saw, it would surely only get worse. What Leslie needed was help and a caring family.

Maybe that’s why Joseph wanted him to stay with them for the weekend.

“S-Seb?”

“Yeah, Leslie?” Sebastian was brought back from his thoughts when he heard the soft voice calling him. Leslie was still curled up on the couch but had found a blanket and wrapped it around himself and held a picture in his hand. “What do you got there?” Sebastian looked to see that the soup would be fine on it’s own before going over to Leslie.

“L-love?” The kid was pointing at the photo and when he saw the picture he smiled. It was the photo that Juli took of him and Joseph holding the keys to their apartment and Sebastian was kissing Jojo’s cheek in it.

“Yeah... I do love him. I love him a lot, actually.” Leslie was still looking at the photo and then looked up at Seb before pointing to himself.

“L-love?”

“I-I care about you Leslie. I want to help you and make sure you’re safe.” Sebastian ran a hand through Leslie’s hair before heading back to the kitchen. Just then Joseph came back into the living room holding a small book.

“Hey, Leslie, I found the book.” Joseph sat down next to the bundled up kid and showed him the story. Sebastian couldn’t see what the story was, but Leslie looked so happy about it.

“What book is it, Jojo?” Sebastian saw how Joseph’s face flushed at the question.

“It’s uhm... Goodnight Moon.” The older detective couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“Why... do you own that book?”

“My mother would always read it to me as a child so I kept it. It reminds me of my family.”

“M-My family...?”

Both detectives looked at Leslie who was holding onto Joseph’s sleeve and staring at Sebastian.

“Your family? What do you mean Leslie?”

“Y-you two are my family?” Sebastian could feel something pull at his heart from the kid’s words and Joseph pulled Leslie closer.

“Family can be whoever you want, Leslie. If you think of me and Seb as your family, then we are.”

“I-I have a family now...” Leslie looked so happy about this new information and snuggled closer into his blankets before taking the book Joseph offered to him and opening it up. The younger detective ran a hand through Leslie’s hair before getting up and going over to Sebastian.

“Is the soup almost done?”

“It will be in a few minutes and then needs to cool down a bit. Don’t need him to burn his mouth, right?”

“Right... So, what do you think about what he said?”

“What are you talking about?” Joseph looked back at Leslie before lowering his voice to a whisper.

“That whole thing about us being his family...” Sebastian sighed before leaning against the counter and staring at Joseph.

“The kid doesn’t have anyone, Jojo. Of course he would think of us like that.”

“You don’t seem thrilled about it though. Leslie has been through so much and suffered more than most people so he has every right to not trust a single damn person but he trusts us, doesn’t that make you feel happy or at least special? Because it means a lot to me.”

“Don’t say that, Joseph. Of course I’m happy that he trusts us. But that just means it’s going to suck more when we have to put him into a hospital.”

“Then let’s not do it.”

“What?” Sebastian looked at Joseph like he lost his fucking mind.

“I’m serious. He needs us, people who care about him, to watch him. Not doctors who just poke at him and keep him locked up in some psycho ward.”

“Even if I were to agree to that, we would still have to get him checked out.”

“Right... of course.” Joseph turned and went back to Leslie on the couch. Sebastian rubbed at his temples in frustration and went back to finishing the soup.

* * *

 

Later that night as Joseph was helping Leslie into bed, Sebastian found out that the kid had an odd affection for blankets. They had given Leslie two blankets and he still nervously asked for one more. Of course Seb got him another one, but he didn’t know why the kid needed it. Maybe he had thin veins.

“Alright, Leslie, we’ll be right across the hallway, okay?

“O-okay... Se-Sebastian?”

“Yeah?” Leslie was fiddling with the edge of his blankets and looked so small.

“Y-you will protect me f-from Ruvik, yes?” Joseph looked up at Sebastian and he noticed the hurt look on both their faces.

“Of course, Leslie. He’ll never hurt you again while I’m here.” Sebastian ran a comforting hand through the kid’s hair and Leslie leaned into the touch. “Goodnight, Leslie.”

“N-Night...”

Both Joseph and Sebastian left the room and went to their own bedroom. They had hardly spoken since their conversation in the kitchen and Sebastian feared that he had made his partner upset. Once they were stripped down to their boxers and in bed, Sebastian wrapped his arms around Joseph and nuzzled into his neck.

“Jojo... about earlier, I’ll think about it, okay? I just don’t want the kid to get hurt.” He felt Joseph’s hand squeeze his own.

“I know.... Thank you.” Sebastian accepted that that was all he would get as an answer and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 

Sebastian didn’t really expect to see himself in the same scene a month later, but here he was.

“Come on, Leslie. Time for all of us to get some sleep because I can’t work if I’m exhausted.” Joseph and Leslie were on the couch watching TV and as usual, Leslie was wrapped up in blankets.

“B-but I want to know how this ends...”

Over the past month Leslie had returned to a hospital to get checked and was allowed to stay at a home, only having to go get checked once a month. Sebastian and Joseph had stepped up to taking the kid in and ever since, Leslie had been getting better at opening up around the detectives and even improving his speech so he didn’t stutter as much. He still repeated words, but Sebastian and Joseph knew that that was not fixable, and accepted it as it was.

“I know you do kid, but it’s getting late and even Joseph knows I’m right. Work starts early for us unfortunately.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Leslie. I promise we can finish it tomorrow though.”

“P-promise?”

“Of course. I pinky promise.” Sebastian smiled at his partner’s words, but Leslie seemed to accept the childish gesture with immense joy. “Now lets get you into bed.”

Sebastian couldn’t believe it, but the three of them had fallen into a nightly routine. They would all brush their teeth and get ready for bed and Leslie would go to his own room while waiting for Sebastian and Joseph to finish any extra duties they needed to finish. Before heading to bed, both detectives would enter Leslie’s room and say goodnight.

“S-Seb...” Sebastian turned to the kid as he and Joseph were leaving the room. “T-Thank you... for protecting me...” Leslie looked so grateful and Sebastian couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. He walked over to Leslie’s side and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“I’ll always protect you, Leslie. Until the day I die.”


End file.
